Chapter 5

Until, at eighteen, the Moon Goddess finally designated me as Damon's mate.

I thought everything would change.

I thought he would love me because of fate's decree.

But reality was crueler than I could have imagined.

Even after I was named his fated mate, before our bond was confirmed, Damon would praise Chloe right to my face.

"Chloe is just so outstanding."

"Strong, decisive. That's what a true Luna should be."

"Elena, you should learn from your sister," he would say, his tone flat and detached. "Only the strong are qualified to stand by an Alpha's side."

At nineteen, when I finally felt a flicker of my wolf's strength, I signed up for the pack's tournament.

Because Damon would be watching from below the stage.

I wanted to prove to him that I could be strong too.

But the result was the same. I was slammed to the ground, breaking several ribs.

Waves of laughter rippled through the crowd.

I curled up in pain, catching a glimpse of Damon and Leo in the crowd.

They just stood there, watching me fall with cold indifference.

No worry, no heartache, not even a flicker of concern.

It was as if my defeat, the defeat of a weakling, was the only outcome they expected.

In that moment, I finally understood.

In their hearts, I was never a precious family member or mate.

I was just a shameful burden to them.

The pain of the memories receded like a tide, and my spirit was pulled back to the cruel present.

I was still bound within Damon's mind, forced to follow him to the pack's assembly hall.

"Our little princess is simply dazzling tonight!"

Everyone crowded around Chloe, showering her with praise.

She wore a white silk gown, and around her neck was the Luna necklace that should have been mine.

It was a moonstone necklace passed down for three generations, to be worn only by the pack's Luna.

I had only ever seen it once.

In just a few short days, they were already holding a celebratory banquet for Chloe.

It was as if I, the true mate, had never existed.

"Luna Chloe, are you fully healed?" a young Beta asked, his voice full of concern.

"Thank you all for your care," Chloe said, lowering her head shyly. "It's all thanks to the Alpha's meticulous attention that I recovered so quickly."

Damon nodded in satisfaction, his Alpha aura wrapping around her possessively. "I told you, no one can harm my sweet girl."

"You are brave," he added, his voice low. "A hundred times braver than certain cowards."

The elders vied to present her with precious magical crystals, claiming they would help stabilize her wolf's nature.

Chloe simply caressed her necklace, her pride nearly overflowing.

And my spirit, still shackled by the mate bond, could only watch in agony.

This place that was once my home now made my very soul tremble.

Sometimes I truly wanted to curse the cruelty of fate. Why not let me die completely, instead of forcing me to witness this?

As night fell, Damon grew unusually agitated.

He returned alone to the Alpha's chambers, pacing restlessly, his chest heaving.

It's been days. This punishment should be enough.

If she's just throwing a tantrum, she should have come crawling back by now.

But this time... the silence felt different. It felt... final.

I could feel his inner turmoil, the telltale sign of a mate bond on the verge of completely severing.

He then began to call my name frantically through the mind-link, his tone shifting from anger to urgency.

But the only response was a deathly silence.

It was like screaming into a void, a void that was starting to terrify his wolf.

After a long while, Damon smashed his fist into a mirror on the wall, blood dripping from his knuckles.

Still won't answer? Do you really think hiding will earn you any sympathy, you useless waste?

My spirit wanted to respond, to tell him I was dead, but my voice could never reach him.

He then dialed the healer Anya's number, his voice as cold as a blade.

"Did Elena put you up to this? Tell her to get her ass back here and accept my rejection, or I'll send warriors to drag her back myself!"

There was a beat of silence on the other end before Anya's trembling voice came through.

"Alpha... Elena's body... it vanished from the forest a week ago," she whispered. "She's gone."